


Mansfield University

by fionafiction



Category: Belle (2013), The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Friendship, Love, Romance, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-15 16:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2236488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fionafiction/pseuds/fionafiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay starts at Mansfield University as a foreign exchange student and soon meets her new college RA John Davinier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day

Belle’s first day at Mansfield College was almost an uneventful one. She watched all of the other freshman students unloading their belongings from their parent’s cars. Everyone had friends and family helping them unpack all of their suitcases and books. Belle even saw one student lugging a mini-fridge and a shag-pile rug up the stairs to the dorms. Belle had one suitcase that she had brought with her from home, only her home was a few thousand more miles away than anyone else. Even at home she had fewer belongings that some of her classmates. If anyone had asked Belle 2 months ago about where she thought she would be or what her life would be like, starting a university degree at Mansfield College wouldn't have even entered her imagination. She wasn't even 100% sure exactly how she ended up here, all that she knew was that one day out of the blue - after years and years of pestering her for information - Belle's mother announced that her father was American and had left her a trust fund to use for her university education. Up until that moment, Belle had been planning on going to the local university at home, but suddenly there were fancy coloured brochures to read and American college applications to complete. 

And yet, here she was and despite the amazing opportunity (or sheer luck) that Belle was experiencing, it was amazing how lonely she felt surrounded by hundreds of people. Even with people saying hi to her in the corridor. She was alone in a world of people who had been preparing for this life their entire their lives. Belle was lost at sea, brought here by a mysterious father figure she hardly knew.

The ageing sign for dorm room 17 came into view as Belle carried her single bag through the maze of hallways and student rooms. The room was empty, no sign of her roommate or her roommate’s entourage of family and friends that were bound to come as well. Belle sighed; it was almost a relief to have a few more moments of peace before her life as she had previously known it changed dramatically.

The room was sparse with blank walls and furniture, presumably for incoming freshmen to decorate with photos from home, mini-fridges and shag-pile rugs – of which Belle had none. She had brought with her only what she could fit in her suitcase, which to be honest had been mainly clothes, and she was definitely going to need some more of them. Each side of the room had one bed, one desk and a wardrobe. It was a bit run down but Belle hoped that once her roommate brought all her belongings it would look less sad and more lived in.

As Belle sat contemplating her new situation in life, she heard a knock at the door, which was odd because surely her new roommate would just let themselves in. Belle got up to answer the door and was surprised to see a boy about her age standing in front of her. She was sure that her new roommate was a girl named Elizabeth.

‘Hi, you must be Belle!’ said the stranger.

‘Uh, yes!’ replied Belle nervously. She really needed to get over these nerves she was feeling. She has at College! Everyone was new! She was supposed to embrace this experience. Besides, she was never going to meet anyone new, let alone make any friends if she didn’t actually talk to them.

The stranger didn’t seem to take any notice of her hesitation and had continued to chat away while Belle was busy with her self-analytical rant inside her head. His arms were on either side of her doorway as he leaned in against the frame. Belle found herself distracted by thoughts of his arms and the way the muscles pulled his t-shirt tight against his chest.

‘… at the end of the hall on the left. You can pop by any time but I do have set aside hours as well.’

‘Hours?’

‘Yes, you know, allocated time where you can come talk to your RA about whatever you need’

‘RA?’ _Belle! Get your brain into gear! This guy is talking to you and you are on a completely different planet._

‘Resident Assistant! Sorry! Yes, I’m your RA. John, my name is John Davinier.’

‘Oh okay, hi’ replied Belle immediately, forcing herself to pay attention to the conversation that was happening in front of her, that at the moment seemed to be entirely one sided.

‘So you’re our token exchange student this year I hear’ said John.

‘Yes, that would be me. Shipped in all the way from the Bahamas’ replied Belle.

‘Oh wow! Exciting! I can’t wait to hear all about the Caribbean. You have to come to the Welcome Night downstairs in the common room tonight… tell me then!’ John leaned back, letting go of Belle’s doorframe.

‘7pm!’ John continued, half shouting as he wandered further down the hall.

And then he was gone, just like that. Off to meet his other new residents presumably.

‘Here we go…’ said Belle to herself as she mentally prepared herself for the year ahead. She was pretty sure that everything was about to change and there was a feeling in her heart that maybe it could be for good.


	2. New Friends

Belle didn’t have long to revel in her solitude, no sooner than John had left, the door banged open and a giant pile of suitcases came crashing through into the room.

‘Hello! Hello, sorry! Sorry for all the mess. I’m Elizabeth!’ Said the voice out in the corridor. Belle peered around the doorframe to see a small blonde shape dragging a huge bag across the floor.

‘Do you need a hand?’ asked Belle.

‘That would be great, thanks!’ Elizabeth replied as she piled pillows into Belle’s outstretched arms. At least Belle was right about one thing, she could rely on her new roommate to decorate their room and turn it into a more liveable space.

Carefully navigating the doorway with her giant and yet soft and squishy load and Elizabeth dragging what could only be the biggest laundry bag ever, they made it into the room with all of Elizabeth’s belongings. Belle finally had a chance to properly observe her new roommate. Standing at just 5 feet and 3 inches, Elizabeth was a pint-sized creature with long blonde hair and perfect porcelain white skin. Her slender figure and bubbly attitude meant that she was instantly likable and Belle breathed a sigh of relief that maybe she wouldn’t have to spend the year hiding in the library trying to avoid her roommate.

‘Is this everything? Do your family need a hand bringing anything else in?’ asked Belle.

‘Oh no, my Dad just dropped me off.’

‘Oh, did he have somewhere else he needed to be?’

‘Yeah, at home with his new family!’

‘What?’

‘That’s why I’m here, I’ve been sent away to university so that his new wife doesn’t have to deal with me. Out of sight, out of mind, right?’

‘Wow, I’m sorry. That sucks.’

‘I’m going to have way more fun here, don’t you worry!’

‘Okay, I like the sound of that plan’ laughed Belle.

Elizabeth started to open all of her bags and proceeded to make the dorm room look like the day after Boxing Day sales. It was mayhem, but maybe nice mayhem Belle decided. Elizabeth was the opposite of everything that Belle was. Belle favoured sedate and neutral colours when she dressed and so far everything that she had seen of Elizabeth’s wardrobe involved either sequins or skin-tight coloured material, and given how short she was, Belle was convinced that some of Elizabeth’s ‘dresses’ were actually tops. Belle sat crossed legged on her bed as she watched the mayhem unfold in front of her. Elizabeth hanging scarf after scarf from the wardrobe doorknobs and every flat surface was soon covered in some kind of coloured fabric. After some fiddling with her phone, Elizabeth soon had the electro-dance beats of the latest Iggy Azalea rap song filling the room.

‘So what’s the plan for tonight? What party are we going to?’ asked Elizabeth.

‘Uh, the RA invited us to the Welcome Night at the bar downstairs. It starts at 7pm’ replied Belle.

‘Oh good! That sounds great. I spotted some serious eye candy in the hallway on the way up here. We can go meet our future husbands!’

Belle giggled, having Elizabeth as a friend was definitely going to be fun. She would leave the husband hunting to her though, Belle needed to focus on getting a good degree in the years she had here at Mansfield University, the boys could wait.

'Now, the important question is, what am I going to wear?' pondered Elizabeth as she stared at the mass of clothes that had spread themselves over the entire room. 


	3. French Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle meets another foreign student, D'Artagnan from France.

Belle stepped out into the corridor with Elizabeth and joined the rushing mass of people passing her door, out into the night. Elizabeth had done some kind of magic and the tiny amount of make-up Belle had permitted Elizabeth to paint her with brought out her very distinctive features and made her look undeniably beautiful. Her cheekbones were delicate, her skin flawless and her eyes flashed with excited nerves as they left the safety of their dorm room and dived head first into College life. 

Belle was wearing a simple knee length charcoal grey skirt that clung to her waist and hips. Very modest compared to the amount of skin she could see on the girls walking through campus with her, whose tiny skirts and denim shorts didn’t seem to notice that it was unnaturally cool for this time of year. Belle fiddled with her dangling necklace, her favourite possession. It was a beautiful Swarovski pendant of faceted cut glass in the shape of a heart. The glass refracted light in different colours depending on the light around her. Its long chain hung against her skin and was a constant comfort to her in times of uncertainty. Today it was nestled in front of her white t-shirt, the plunging V-neck pointing straight toward the crystal heart. 

Elizabeth’s excited chatter quickly interrupted Belle’s casual observations of the world around her as they headed to Welcome Night drinks in the common room. Elizabeth, unlike Belle, blended in completely with the others around them, she had no problem fitting in with this new life. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back exactly like it was supposed to, just like it did in the movies. Her slim figure, whilst half a foot shorter that Belle, was perfectly in proportion. She was wearing black leather pants and a black and silver silk singlet that made Belle think about the night sky and the never-ending universe. The all-encompassing eternity that…

‘Hello??’ Elizabeth announced, demanding attention. 

‘Sorry’ Belle replied, ‘I was totally daydreaming’

‘Clearly, please tell me it was about all of these cute boys that I can see’ replied Elizabeth as they entered the common room, surveying the crowd before them. 

‘Haha, um yep. Definitely!’ Belle decided it was easier to play along than try to explain what was going on inside her head. Belle didn’t really know herself. 

‘Okay! To the bar?’ asked Elizabeth, indicating towards the makeshift table that was holding a expanse of bottles and cups, around which most of the people in the room seemed to be congregated. 

‘Yes, lets!’ 

And suddenly, just like that, Belle really did know what her brain was thinking about because there next to them at the table was a set of arms that she definitely recognised.

‘Bahamas!’ exclaimed John Davinier. 

‘The one and only’ replied Belle. 

‘What are you having? Oh here! Have a complementary Bourbon on Buckingham! Its’ on the house. I know, I know, not really a girls drink. Its good, I promise.’

‘Actually, this is perfect. My grandfather lets me drink Bourbon with him occasionally.’ Belle raised her glass with John and brought the liquor to her lips, feeling the liquid warm her insides on the way down. 

Belle heard Elizabeth clear her throat subtly next to her. Appalled at her rudeness, Belle turned to introduce Elizabeth to John as he watched her over the top of his glass as he finished his drink. 

‘This is my roommate Elizabeth Murray’ introduced Belle.

‘Hi!’ interjected Elizabeth ‘So I hear you’re our very own RA?‘

‘The one and only’ replied John with a smile, reaching across the bar to find another two Bourbons for Elizabeth and Belle, handing them over. ‘Welcome to Welcome Night! As your RA I offer you these drinks as a welcome gift from Mansfield University. Having said that, I also advise you to drink responsibly!’

‘Don’t want too many people knocking on your door tomorrow?’ asked Elizabeth, giggling to herself.

‘Definitely not, they’ll be interrupting my own hangover!’ replied John. 

‘Ah, the trials of being a college RA hey?’ 

‘I’ll make an exception for you two if you need me though…’ replied John as Belle watched the two banter like they were old hands at this whole meeting people thing. 

‘Oh I can think of a few things I might need you for, John’ quipped Elizabeth suggestively. 

Belle could never see herself being able to engage in small talk with the same success Elizabeth was having. She could never think of the right thing to say, or anything to say really. Belle resigned herself to watching the interaction take place around her. 

‘Let me introduce you to some people’ announced John, dragging the two of them across the room.  
Belle followed Elizabeth around the party as they met more and more new college students, before John was pulled away by RA duties and the demands to be a good host to the increasing number of other students arriving at the hall. She was most interested by a young guy with floppy brown hair who seemed completely taken by Elizabeth though Belle wasn’t sure Elizabeth had even noticed. 

John had introduced him as D’Artagnan and in an American college that is a name that stands out as unpronounceable and entirely foreign, which is why it made sense that he was an exchange student like her. D’Artagnan was from France and was a year younger than the rest of them. Something to do with the way the schooling system worked over there. 

‘Do you want a drink?’ Belle asked D’Artagnan. 

‘You can call me ‘D’ for short if it helps.’ D’Artagnan offered ‘I know it’s a bit much. My name is actually quite normal at home… and no, I’m good thanks.’ 

‘My grandparents at home call me Dido but that’s also not so common around here, so I went with Belle instead.’ 

‘You just picked a new name?’ asked D’Artagnan in surprise.

‘Well no, Belle is still my name. Belle Dido Elizabeth Lindsay, how is that for a mouth full?’ 

‘Four first names’ observed D’Artagnan.

‘Yep. Its like Pick N’ Mix for names.’

‘Haha I love it.’

‘Elizabeth didn’t seem like the best choice because I live with another Elizabeth and that would get confusing, and it also seemed a bit greedy to take her name when I had so many others to choose from.’ 

‘Very considerate of you.’

‘And I still need a last name which ruled out Lindsay, so that left Belle.’

‘Excellent rational thought process, your tutors will love you.’

‘Already into the academics are you?’

‘It was a long flight and I have a lot of text books, I’m studying History.’

‘Off to a head start then? Probably a wise choice’ responded Belle with a smile. 

‘What are you studying?’ asked D’Artagnan animatedly. His infectious charm and innocence reminded Belle of a little brother she had never had. Or a puppy, of which she had had many over her lifetime. Belle also did notice that he was never more than a few seconds away from gazing at Elizabeth, no matter where she was in the room. It was endearing, although Belle feared that D’Artagnan might have a battle on his hands. He certainly wasn’t the only one in the room that Elizabeth had caught the attention of. 

‘I haven’t decided on a major yet, although I was considering History’ responded Belle to D’Artagnan’s enquiry. 

‘You should come to the first meeting of the History Society tomorrow, you might like it!’ offered D’Artagnan. 

‘Okay, maybe. That sounds nice.’

‘I can come collect you from your dorm tomorrow if you like and we can head over together’ 

Belle smiled, the boy probably was hoping for another chance to see Elizabeth, but she appreciated the offer of friendship. 

‘What time should I expect you then?’

‘Just before 11am?’

‘Okay. Sounds good, lets do it.’ decided Belle. 

Later, when D’Artagnan was off talking to his roommate and some of the guys in the dorm next to his, Belle remembered that she had made a friend who wasn’t obliged to like her due housing allocations and the fact they co-existed within 5 meters of each other, it made her smile. And then she felt bad because she really liked Elizabeth and there was nothing forced about their friendship, living together was a bonus really. But either way, she had still made a friend in D’Artagnan on her own, so maybe this college thing wouldn’t be so hard after all. 

Belle looked over the sea of people in the room and started to feel like maybe she did belong here after all.


End file.
